In constant pain from a rare skin condition but little Tia is still smiling

Victoria West

Little Tia Foster-Price lives her life in agony caused by a rare skin condition which means she breaks out in painful blisters and sores at the slightest touch.

The two and a half year old is given a cocktail of drugs to help her cope and she is often admitted to hospital when infections take hold.

Tia all covered up while out and about.

Now her young mum Annemarie Price is calling on the community to help make the tot’s life as pleasurable as possible despite her painful condition.

She has launched a fundraising page, with the aim of raising £1,000, to splash out on days out for Tia, who is unable to walk because she has no skin on her feet.

Annemarie, of Adeyfield, Hemel Hempstead, said: “It’s just something so she is happy and it makes her forget what she is going through. We want to make her life as happy as possible and try and get her to forget the pain she is in.”

The youngster who suffers from a skin condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) spent six and a half months in Great Ormond Street Hospital Street Hospital when she was first born. She also needed surgery to correct a condition called gastroschisis, when the intestine is outside of the body.

Everyday Annemarie has to replace the bandages that protect Tia’s fragile skin.

“She will scream at me and cry,” said the 23 year old, who spent her first Mother’s Day in hospital with Tia.

“Throughout the day she has to have morphine and paracetamol to control the pain.

“It’s very difficult especially when there’s nothing you can do to help her.

“We take each day as it comes and try and do what we can for her.”

Night-times are also difficult as Annemarie will be up around six times to make Tia more comfortable.

Her condition is made worse by heat, which means cuddles must be kept short and Tia, who is susceptible to skin cancer, needs to stay out of the sun.

“Heat causes her to have blisters. Everytime you pop a blister it’s like a third degree burn,” said Annemarie.

Even a simple trip to the park is troublesome for little Tia.

“She can’t go on certain things,” said Annemarie. “If there are lots of people they she can’t stay for long in case someone bumps her.”

The single mum, who is helped by Tia’s dad Richard Foster, hopes that some of the money raised will go towards creating a safe play area in the back garden, which will mean the youngster can spend more time outside under the shade of a gazebo.